hi, just stumbled upon this site as i was looking for NYS rut and conservation land info. i am heading back home - (chemung & steuben county ny) this sunday to give bow hunting a try. i have hunted on the family farm in campbell with my old browning 16ga for 25 years now but the land was just leased to some city dwellers and we are not allowed. another member of our diminishing hunting party just bought cabin with a few hundred acres in erin where i will be hunting. the point of all this is shortly after he moved in he met the mailman, who told him he had seen (on more than one occasion) a cougar on the property. anyway, if anyone has any info on the rut in the area or on public land to hunt near horseheads it would be greatly appreciated. was thinking about connecticut hill or finger lakes natioal forest. thanks guys, and i will let you know what that mailman has to say

There is some state game lands right in Erwin.

Welcome to the board

Is your mailman the first person that has told you about cougars? I would like to hear from him www.Trackincats.com, it is not BS, it is a cougar!

OK Guys, first time for me so be gentel! Been reading the posts for several weeks. On the subject of mountain lions in NY, i cant add to, but just for your information I have a live female mountain lion running around in my back yard in lower slower delaware. Iv seen her several times. It was first brought to my attention when my wife said she saw very large tracks in the woods on my/our property. Now, iv lived in North Texas for 15 years raising black angus cattle and was having a problem with new born calfs being killed by something. I was pertty sure it was coyotes but started watching out for tracks. I was right it was coyotes but came upon larger tracks in the muskeet that turned out to be mountain lion. At the time i had no idea any were in that part of Texas, duh! Any how, the tracks in my back yard were indeed mountain lion. I live very close to Bethany beach, Delaware, so surprise tourist! This is a big mature female and has been a problem to no one as of yet, although i have seen a large amount of swamp rabbits missing.

Hi WELCOME! Have you tried getting a plaster cast or a least pictures of tracks....use something to scale the size such as a dollar bill or a ruler. How about a field camera, you could could get the shot we are waiting for. How close to your home is SHE coming? and how do you know it is a female? Please go to my web site and fill out a report. www.Trackincats .com PLEASE! You have lived in Texas so I don't need to warn you but I will any way, she is comfortable there.WHY? Do you have kids & animals?

Ok, let me see if i can answer your questions. 1. She was about 50ft from me and i could see she had no "kickstand". 2. She seemed very comfortable with me there and just loped off after 5 seconds of watching me watch her. 3. paw prints were approx. 61/2 wide by app 7 long. I will admit that she is very dark in color, not the light tan that i am use too seeing in Texas, especially the one i was tracking that was tracking me at the same time, figure that one out. Iv never seen her tracks any closer then 100ft from house, which is the same place/area that i have seen her. Yes i have a lab, she has sense something in the woods several times but have never see the cat while im walking the dog. All the dogs in the area are tryed up or house dogs that dont run wild, which brings to mine that i havent seen any feral dogs or cats in my area lately either,Hmmm. My fault, never thought of the plaster, sorry. I havent seen her for about 2 months, her or new tracks. A cougar was sighted near laural, Del. last year. As you know, these cats have a very large area that they roam so its possible that this is the same cat. Caused quite an uproar in that area.

If I saw anything that remotely resembled a courgar (making sure I was of sane and sobor mind) I would find the track/print, make a cast and call every Tom Dick and Harry in fish & wildlife.

Hummm - never heard reports of courgars in slower lower Delaware?? Northern Delaware for sure!!

interesting AJ, iv never heard of them in northern Delaware. This cat was actually a little larger then my Lab. which would put her over 70lbs. Didnt report it. Dont need wild eyed crazy ppl running around my back yard.(im going to hear about that statement). As a loooong time hunter, i still dont feel the need to kill everything that i see in the woods. Not that im saying there are a lot of hunters that feel that way, but when i hunt deer, i hunt deer, not ground squirels or birds. And i am not driven to kill the first doe/buck i see. The Hunt is the thing, not the taken of game. Iv always enjoyed just being there, pitting my stealth against the wild.